Hawks appoint club stalwart Kylie Piercy as A-grade netball coach

Piercy, who has a long association with the Hawks as both a player and in coaching roles, replaces last season's joint coaches Eleisha Saunders and Elley Lawton.

Saunders will continue as an A-grade assistant coach and will also coach the Hawks' A-reserve team, while Lawton will continue as an A-grade player.

It will be the second stint as A-grade coach for Piercy, an A-grade premiership player with Eaglehawk in 1992 and club life member.

She previously led the Hawks as A-grade and A-reserve coach in 2014.

Piercy was again set to be the Hawks' A-reserve coach and A-grade assistant in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to COVID.

In her most recent role, she coached Eaglehawk's 15-and-under development team in 2022.

While she coached Mitiamo to a Loddon Valley league minor premiership in 2018 in partnership with Jenny Clohesy and a stirring flag win the following year against Newbridge flying solo, Piercy admits she has never really left Eaglehawk.

She is excited to be taking charge of a primarily young Hawks A-grade team, which finished this year in eighth spot with a 4-14 win-loss record, one spot and one win below Maryborough (5-13).

"I only saw a few games (last season), I liked that they are a very young side that's so willing to learn," Piercy said.

"The aim for 2023 is to tap into the talent that's already there and getting the girls working more as a team, which should lead to more wins as well throughout the season and to finish higher than this season."

Eaglehawk has managed to evade the loss of any of its 2022 A-grade personnel and have managed to sign a few important early recruits.

Piercy has lured quality midcourter Amy Ryan from LVFNL club Calivil United and will reunite with Mitiamo premiership midcourter Gabe Marlow, who has joined the Hawks after a year away from netball in 2022.

The new coach said they would be valuable additions to the midcourt.

Ryan finished equal fourth in this year's LVFNL Helen Ward Medal best and fairest count, won by Maiden Gully YCW's Tia Webb, while Marlow has long been a key to the Superoos sustained on-court success.

Piercy is looking forward to working alongside Saunders, who took on the top netball coaching role at Canterbury Park in 2022 and will stay on as an A-grade asssitant as well as A-reserve coach.

"Leish and I have a very good friendship on and off the court," she said.

"Her knowledge is invaluable to all the players as she leads by example.

"Also, I was her coach when she first come to Eaglehawk many years ago."

Among her many coaching accomplishments at Eaglehawk, Piercy led the Hawks to B-grade premierships in 1997 and 2011 and the 15-and-under development team to flag success in 2018.

In other coaching appointments, Kate Clow, who finished runner-up to Morgan Keating in this year's A-grade best and fairest, will coach the Hawks' B-grade team, while Tess Doran will take charge of the B-reserve.

The Hawks held a series of tryouts in late November and early December.

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